Herb Health Guide

How to Prepare Herbal Remedies

There are many ways we can use herbs in order for them to exert their
beneficial influence. The easiest way to take herb is to simply eat them. Most of
us do this every day, for example with parsley in salads, mint or rosemary with
roast lamb or garlic with just about everything. The herbs are absorbed in
the digestive tract and enter the blood stream and circulate around the body.

Preparations for internal use

Apart from culinary use herbs can be taken internally as teas, tinctures or
in tablet form.

Tablets or capsules

This method is the easiest way to take herbs. Simply
ingest a tablet or capsule and follow with a glass of water. They may also be
dissolved in hot water for tea. The tablets and capsules can be purchased and
you can keep them on hand for when they may be needed. You can also make them at
home using gelatin capsules filled with powdered mixtures of the herbs you
require. The process is made easier by using a capsule maker.

There are two sizes - 0 and 00. Size 0 holds about 0.35 g of powder, so
that three capsules should be taken three times daily to achieve the
standard dose. Size 00 holds about 0.5 g of powder, requiring two capsules
to be taken three times per day for the standard dose.

Teas or infusions and decoctions

Teas come in two forms - infusions and decoctions. Which one you make depends
on the part of the herb that you want to use. Infusions are for the soft parts
of the plant and decoctions are for the bark and woody parts.

Infusions

These are made the same way as making a cup of tea, using the soft parts of
the plant (the leaves, stems and flowers). The standard dose is 1oz (25g) of
dried herb, or 2 oz or (50 g) of fresh herb to 1 pint (600 ml) of boiling water.
This can be varied according to taste. It is important that they be palatable so
that you can drink them regularly, when you need to. Sometimes a little honey
makes the tea more palatable.

Put the herb in a warmed pot and pour on the boiling water, leave
covered to infuse for 10 minutes and then strain. A cupful is generally taken
three times a day for chronic conditions and six times daily for acute
illnesses. An infusion will keep up to two days in the refrigerator.

Combine different herbs with similar properties to improve the healing and
alter the flavour.

Decoctions

These are similar to infusions except that they are made from hard materials, such as bark, roots, wood chips,
seeds and nuts. They may require more heat than an infusion.

Break or hammer the pieces first with a pestle and mortar or chop them if fresh. Porcelain or glass
vessels should be used in preparing infusions and decoctions. The full benefit
of the herb is attained by keeping the material covered while being processed.
Simmer the material in a
glass or enamel vessel with some water, for at least 10 minutes before straining.
Use a little over a pint (600 ml) of water per ounce (25g) of herb, to make
up for any water lost during the simmering. The dosage is the same as for
infusions.

Using infusions and decoctions

You can use infusions and decoctions in eyebaths, gargles, mouth washes
and lotions. Such treatments are given about two to three times per day for
chronic problems and every two hours for acute situations.

Note: milk is not usually added to a herbal infusion or decoctions.

Syrups

These are often preferred for children. Give two teaspoons (double for
adults) three or four times per day for chronic problems and twice as much for
an acute illness.

After preparing the herb as if to make a tea, bring it to a boil for
five to ten minutes. Mix in 12oz (325g) sugar or honey into a pint (600ml) of the
liquid and heat until the sugar dissolves. Store the syrup in the
refrigerator.

Alternatively, you can weigh your infusion or decoction and add a 1/4 of
its weight of honey to it. Heat this slowly and stir it as it starts to
thicken, skim of the scum that forms on the surface.

Another method is to pour a pint (600ml) of boiling water over 21/2lb
(1.25kg) of soft brown sugar and stir over a low heat until the sugar is
dissolved and the solution starts to boil. Remove from the heat. Add one
part of herbal tincture (see below) to three parts syrup. This will keep
very well.

Tincture

These are concentrated extracts of herbs, usually using a mixture of water
and alcohol (Duke 2000, uses the cheapest vodka that he can buy for this
process) to extract the constituents of the remedy and act as a preservative.
The ratio of alcohol to water varies form one remedy to another. 25% alcohol is
needed for glycosides and tannins. Resins and gums need 90% alcohol. (see... for
what these mean)

To make the tincture use:

dried herbs at the ratio of one part herb to five parts of liquid,

fresh herb at the ratio of one part herb to two parts of liquid.

Place the herb in a large jar and pour in the alcohol and
water mixture. Close the lid of the jar and leave in a cool dark place for
two weeks, shaking it daily. When this process is complete separate the herb
and the liquid and place the liquid into a dropper bottle. (Tinctures are
often taken by dropper measures.) Store the tincture away from heat and light.

You can use an alternative to alcohol by using glycerine which gives a sweet
taste to the tincture and makes them more palatable. Use equal parts of water
and glycerine for dried herbs and 80% glycerine for watery fresh herbs (such as
borage) to ensure they do not deteriorate or become contaminated.

Tinctures generally keep well for about two years.

Tinctures can also be used to make mouth washes, gargles, lotions and
douches. Use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon in a cupfull of water 2 to 3 times per day
in chronic conditions and every tow hours in acute conditions.

Suppositories

Local and systemic conditions can be treated with this method. Suppositories
bypass the intestines and are absorbed through the mucosa of the rectum.

To make suppositories add finely powdered dried herbs to a base of melted
cocoa butter. Pour this into moulds, made in the required shape from aluminium
foil and allowed to cool.

Preparations for external use

The skin is very absorbent and substances that are applied to the skin will
be carried by the blood vessels around the body.

Make a wash

A wash is a warm infusion, decoction or diluted tincture (10 ml tincture to
250 ml warm water) that is spread over the skin with a clean cloth or cotton
ball. A wash is good for wounds, cuts and grazes as well as rashes and ulcers.

Compresses

To make a compress take a clean cloth or towel and soak it in either a hot or
cold herbal infusion or decoction or into water into which a few drops of
essential oil have been added. Then wring it out and apply it to the affected
area - such as the site of a headache, period pain, backache, inflamed joints.
Repeat several times for good effect.

Hand and foot baths

The hands and feet are sensitive areas with many nerve endings. Despite
thickening of the skin in some areas herbal constituents pass readily from these
areas into the blood stream.

Mustard foot baths are an old remedy for the afflictions of the cold and
damp, from colds and flu to arthritis. The hands and feet are excellent ways to
treat children and babies.

Herbal baths

A fragrant warm bath is a relaxing way to take a herbal remedy and an easy
way to treat babies and children.

You can hang a muslin bag filled with fresh or dried herbs directly
under the hot tap.

Alternatively you can add a strong herbal infusion to the bath water.
Soak in the water for 15 to 30 minutes.

You can add a few drops of essential oil to the bath water.

Dilute the oils first for babies and children or if you
have a sensitive skin.

Liniments

Liniments are rubbing oils used in massage to relax or stimulate or sooth
away pain from inflammation or injury. They consist of extracts of herbs in oil
or alcohol base or a mix of herbal oils and alcohol tinctures of your chosen
herbs. They are intended to be absorbed quickly through the skin of the affected
part and for this reason they often contain cayenne or stimulating oils to
increase circulation.

Oils

Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plants by a process of steam
distillation so these are unable to be prepared at home. However you can make
herbal oils by infusing finely chopped herbs in a pure vegetable oils, such as
almond, sunflower or olive, for about two weeks.

Place the oil in a jar with a
tight fitting lid. Place the jar on a warm windowsill and shake it daily.
Gradually the oil will take up the constituents of the herbs used. After two or
more weeks filter the oil and press the remainder out of the herb through a
muslin bag. Store the oil in an airtight dark bottle.

Oils can be used for a
massage. A few drops of the essential oil can be diluted in the base oil. You
can also put 5 to 10 drops into a bowl of hot water for inhalation.

Poultices

A poultice is a soft damp mixture that is added to part of the body. You can
use fresh or dried herbs as a poultice, placed between two pieces of gauze. Make
the herbal mixture into a paste (crush the fresh herbs or add some water to the
dry herbs) to spread over the gauze. Then bind the gauze poultice to the
affected area using a light cotton bandage.